Hi Fi Buying advice

[danpa30]

I was looking for some Hi Fi buying advice. Am buying Hi Fi Seperates for the first time and cannot decide between

Amplifier
Cambridge Audio Azur 640a Amp or NAD C352CT

CD Player
Cambridge Audio Azur 640c or NAD C542

[topspeed]

I have a 540a / 540c combo that I purchased over the NAD c320bee so this isn't a direct comparison w/ what you are looking at. My speakers are 95dB efficient, therefore the extra power of the 640a wasn't a consideration for my application. My impressions are that they both sound very similar with a slight edge to the 320bee in bottom end presentation. The "bee" products from NAD are special in that they are designed by their famed designer and only those products bare his initials B-E-E. These products sound different from their other products so I can't say that the c352 will enjoy the same advantage over the 640a that the c320bee did over the 540a.

So, if the NAD had more authority, why did I buy the CA?

First, the Azur excels in low level retrieval and microdynamics. Because this rig is in my office, it rarely gets cranked up. I can say that when I let it rip, the quality of sound is consistent througout the spectrum with no humps, strain, or other weirdness, regardless of playback level. Some amps need to get the juice flowing to sound good, the Azur isn't one of those.

Second, the difference in bass between the bee and 540a wasn't night and day. You had to a/b them to tell the difference, and even then you had to be looking for differences.

Third, the price difference was considerable. From my dealer, it was a staggering 30%. When putting together a budget system, every penny counts.

The final reason is admittedly a purely judgement call: I can't stand NAD's aesthetics. In silver, the CA's look very cool with their pindot blue lights. NAD's are bathed in the same wierd camo green/grey they have always suffered through, although if you don't live in the US, you can buy it in silver.

For the cd players, it's no contest: buy the Azur. The Wolfson DAC's are terrific, very smooth, and have excellent detail retrieval. The 640c is a known giant killer and I've encountered others that aren't crazy about their NAD cd players.

Be forewarned, I did have a problem with my volume pot and had to return it for service after only 3 months of use. Others here who have CA products don't have any complaints so mine may have been a rare glitch. Then again, NAD quality problems are a known quantity so it's probably a wash either way.

Listen to both with your speakers and buy whichever sounds best to you. You can't really go wrong here.

Hope this helps.

[ToddB]

topspeed, in the recent Hi-Fi Choice review of that Cambridge combo, the reviewer commented that their pacing could sound a little sluggish at times. Have you noticed any issues in that regard?

[topspeed]

topspeed, in the recent Hi-Fi Choice review of that Cambridge combo, the reviewer commented that their pacing could sound a little sluggish at times. Have you noticed any issues in that regard?
The Brits do love the term "pace," don't they? They have a propensity for bandying it about much in the same way American reviewers love to talk about "coherence." From a laymans standpoint, I can only assume they mean the music tends to get a bit muddled or smeared. I can't imagine they mean it somehow actually slows down, the way an LP would if a record were warped or the deck physically slowed in revolutions. It's a cd for Pete's sake, how the hell is it going to do that? Do clocks get screwed up?

Anyway, the answer to your question is "No," I haven't encountered any problems with the playback from the Azur combo. There are some quirks you learn to live with, such as giving the cd player a few secs to stop spinning before powering it down, but otherwise when you consider the rather modest investment of $500 for the pair, I think it's fair to say I'm ecstatic with the level of performance that can be had at this price point.

[Geoffcin]

I always took good pacing to mean "dynamic" and " punchy" as opposed to a laid back presentation. Technically I think it might have to do with slew rate, and dynamic headroom of the amp in question. I may be wrong though, maybe we better ask a Brit what it means?

[rick verschuren]

I was looking for some Hi Fi buying advice. Am buying Hi Fi Seperates for the first time and cannot decide between

Amplifier
Cambridge Audio Azur 640a Amp or NAD C352CT

CD Player
Cambridge Audio Azur 640c or NAD C542

My advice to you is to go for the Cambridge set, because of the equal quality but
lower price. The pricedifference can be invested in better loudspeakers, cables,
stands, etc., etc.
Greetings, Rick